The size, weight, and sheer bulk of a standard 55 gallon drum means although pouring via a chute is possible when precision is not required, you are never able to pour smaller amounts. Under circumstances where you need to be able to dispense a fixed amount of liquid from a drum, having a reliable and accurate pump in place i...

When you need to be able to measure out a very specific amount of a substance from a drum, you will always need to use some kind of pump for dispensing. The size, weight, and sheer bulk of a standard 55 gallon drum means although pouring via a chute is possible when precision is not required, you are never able to pour smaller amounts. Under circumstances where you need to be able to dispense a fixed amount of liquid from a drum, having a reliable and accurate pump in place is a real boom, and will help you make the most efficient use of resources by reducing overall wastage. There are a wide range of different 55 gallon drum pumps available, and these serve various different purposes, so choosing the correct model for your needs is essential if you are to get the most out of it.

One of the first things to consider when choosing the 55 gallon drum pumps is what kind of liquid you need to dispense from the drums. For thin, light liquids such as water and light oil, you can use a regular piston pump, as very little force is required in order to get the liquid out. These lightweight pumps are simple to use, and maintain, and thanks to their low cost, it is completely reasonable to get several at the same time to ensure that you can extract liquid from drums as efficiently as possible.

When a heavier gauge of liquid is being stored in the drum, a standard piston pump will not have the power to draw up the fluid without a great deal of effort from the operator, and a more powerful system is required. Some companies offer a number of 55 gallon drum pumps that feature a lever attached to the top of the standard piston. This, coupled with a larger chamber in the piston makes it much easier to pump liquid out of the drum and into an appropriate receptacle to be used elsewhere in the building or site.

The drawback with both kinds of piston based pump is that they are both limited to producing a relatively uneven flow of liquid, and this can lead to spillages and accidents. When the liquid is pumped out using a piston, the pressure varies immensely, and this results in pulsing. If the receptacle that the liquid is being pumped into is not placed in a suitable position, the liquid might miss and end up on the floor.

An alternative to a piston pump is a rotary pump. With these 55 gallon drum pumps, you will be able to get a steady flow of liquid out of the drum, and even deal with the heavier gauges of oil and even paint. The liquid will be drawn up steadily from the drum, and dispensed at an even rate into a bucket or other small storage container.

One of the main times when you gain a huge advantage by using a rotary pump is when you are dealing with volatile chemicals or solvents. These must not be spilled, because of health and safety concerns, so minimizing the risk is essential.

One area in which you will find that 55 gallon drum pumps are able to really save you money in the long run is in how they are able to extract all the contents of the barrel. With a hose that stretches all the way to the bottom, you can be sure of getting every last drop of liquid out, meaning that you reduce wastage, and in turn cut costs over the long term, which is excellent news for business.